Family Story Time, 7/26/19 (Construction Theme)

This story time was a small one - just my kids and one other family. We read about construction.

Opening Song: Story Time is Starting

Book: The Diggers by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Antoine Corbineau

Song: The Diggers at the Site
Using the tune of The Wheels on the Bus and the structure of the book Dig Dig Digging by Margaret Mayo, I came up with an action song. 

The diggers at the site go dig, dig, dig
dig, dig, dig,
dig, dig, dig
The diggers at the site go dig, dig, dig.
They can work all day. 

The cranes at the site go lift, lift, lift...
The dump trucks at the site go tip, tip, tip...
The dozers at the site go push, push, push...
The mixers at the site go round and round...

Book: Little Excavator by Anna Dewdney

Rhyme: This is Big Big Big

Song with Ukulele: Stop and Go (originally by Ella Jenkins)

Book: Builders and Breakers by Steve Light

Flannel Board Rhyme: Goodnight, Builders
 I used a small flannel board that I could hold in my lap, which (mostly) kept my toddler from grabbing the pieces.

Five little builders working at a site
The moon comes up as the day turns into night
One little worker lets out a big yawn.
And he/she goes home to sleep until dawn.
Song: Construction Worker Song

Book: Stanley the Builder by William Bee

Closing Song: Story Time is Over

Family Story Time, 7/19/19 (Moon Theme)

There were seven families (including mine) at this story time back in July, and our theme was inspired by the anniversary of the moon landing.

Opening Song: Story Time is Starting

Book: How To Be On The Moon by Viviane Schwarz

This was a review copy from Candlewick. The dialogue is wonderful for reading aloud, and it was great for my three-to-seven-year-olds. We had some babies in attendance who got a bit restless, but it wasn't a big deal.

Flannel Board Song: Five Astronauts Went Up in Space

My own toddler tried to sabotage my flannel board, and I immediately wished I hadn't bothered with it. It did seem to be a good attention grabber for some kids, but I had to enlist help from my 5-year-old to keep her sister from taking the whole thing down. I have a smaller flannel board that I can hold in my lap, and I think that's what I'll need to use for the remaining sessions of story time. 

Book: The Moon Jumpers by Janice May Udry, illustrated by 

This is my three-year-old's favorite picture book. I had never tried it with an audience, but this group seemed like it would be receptive. They mostly seemed to like it. 

Rhyme: Moon Jumpers, Moon Jumpers 

I took the words I use for Book Bear, Book Bear and modified them slightly to suit the "moon jumpers" concept. I repeated the jumping line in both stanzas to emphasize the jumping aspect of the story.

Moon jumpers, moon jumpers

say hello! 

Moon jumpers, moon jumpers

high and low.

Moon jumpers, moon jumpers

Jump up and down

Moon jumpers, moon jumpers

Turn around.

Moon jumpers, moon jumpers

Clap clap clap

Moon jumpers, moon jumpers

Tap tap tap

Moon jumpers, moon jumpers

Jump up and down 

Moon jumpers, moon jumpers

Sit right down.

Song with Ukulele: Stop and Go (originally by Ella Jenkins)

Song with Flannel Board and Ukulele: Aikendrum

I did this on the flannel board, and my five-year-old put all the pieces up for me. If I do this again, I'll just use the ukulele. The flannel board doesn't add much.

Book: Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes

My own two girls were so sympathetic to kitten they kept saying "awwww!" on every page. 

Song: Moon Moon Moon

Book: Wynken Blynken and Nod by Eugene Field, illustrated by Giselle Potter
This was not a hit. I wish I had learned one of the tunes to which this poem can be sung because I think it would have done better as a singable book.

Closing Song: Story Time is Over